Eirenne didn't overdo the act.
That would have made it suspicious and made it harder than it needed to be.
Instead, she sent damaged status packets, broken acknowledgments, partial crew reports, and repeated requests for emergency docking priority.
The signals looked messy, as if just another fleet of ships that had barely escaped a disaster and were here because they were the closest and safest option.
And Eirenne made sure that nothing she said was too over the top, as that would lead to more questions, as that is not something that a battle-worn crew would have time or energy to do.
But still, the first garrison didn't trust it immediately.
That, honestly, worked in their favor.
Their commander reacted carefully instead of panicking. The active fleet started forming a defensive line while more ships launched from the starport.
Weapon locks began appearing across the captured Kharov systems as the distance between the two sides continued to shrink.
